The place where someone starts a journey that may come to a disastrous end. This term was first coined by the podcast "Opening Arguments." The phrase was based off of the "Cliff Hangers" game on the TV
Show "The Price is Right." In that game, a mountain climber climbs up a mountain, taking one
step for every dollar the contestant is wrong in their guess of the price of a prize. A yodeling song is played while the climber makes his ascent. Missing the price by too much could lead the mountain climber to fall off the mountain
cliff, and if that happens, the contestant loses
the game. Someone who is on yodel mountain is continually taking steps that
will lead them to disaster, just like the mountain climber.